Health Benefits Of Organic Food

The organic food revolution has changed the way individuals buy, sell and eat farm fresh produce. Sometimes, organic foods may turn out to be a pricier option to traditionally or commercially farmed produce. However, organic food health benefits far outweigh the price you put on the label. In turn, your are assured of chemical and pesticide free, fresh or frozen produce, healthy hormone free livestock, and meat products and food products made from one or more organic ingredients. The stringent care taken during growth, process and handling of organic food makes it more nutritious.

Organic food is definitely abundant in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. It helps your body by boosting the immune system and enabling resistance to diseases, allergies, reactions to certain food chemicals and hormones.

If you need to understand organic food health benefits, it is important to understand what qualifies as ‘organic food’. There are a number of organic food facts that we are unaware of. The word ‘organic’ comes from the farming or livestock practice used by these food producers. Not only do they renounce the conventional methods of farming, weeding, pest control, and chemical processing, organic producers take care to see that from manufacture to shelf, every process is pesticide and chemical free.

Organic food is fast gaining popularity for both physical and mental health. Amongst health conscious parents, organic food is the new mantra for healthy, strong development of children. However, studies suggest that the benefits of organic food for kids go far beyond just physical attributes.

ADHD:

Case studies conducted on children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and even adult ADHD recommend the use of organic diet. Organic food for ADHD ensures that food products are herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide free. These may help eliminate the toxins in patients with ADHD, which lead to symptoms such as restlessness, lack of concentration, aggressive behavior, and so on.

Organic food is free from additives such as artificial flavoring, sweeteners, preservatives, hydrogenated fat, and phosphoric acid. These artificial additives are some of the main culprits for hyperactive disorders amongst children. With its nutrient dense properties, organic food for mental health may also promote better alertness, sharper memory, and fewer mood swings.

Allergies:

Many food allergies find their origins in genetically modified food, rampant use of chemicals and pesticides, and use of antibiotics and growth hormones in livestock. Parents are now revolting against what they call a ‘cocktail of chemicals’ in conventional foods. One solution is consuming organic food for allergies. Many of these foods or products made from organic ingredients do not use any chemicals or antibiotics during the farming or processing stage. However, it is important to remember that while organic foods may not possess toxins that trigger allergies, they do contain proteins that maybe causing some of the food allergies common amongst children and adults. If you are switching to an all-organic diet to combat allergies, talk to your doctor about the specifics of your allergy and if an organic diet may help you stay symptom free.

Weight Loss:

Genetically modified crops, additives and flavoring in food and preservatives used to keep packaged foods fresh may well be the cause of expanding waistlines and the obesity epidemic in our modern world.

Organic food for weight loss can help keep these toxins under check. In the end, toxins from various conventionally farmed foods are bound to affect our body’s natural metabolism. Additionally, our body stores inorganic ingredients as fat using only the digestible organic food for fuel and energy. Consuming organic food may help our body metabolize easily and leave fewer toxin traces.

Organic Food Nutritional Facts

In conventional produce, large-scale farming and weeding practices subject you to produce that maybe elevated in quantity or size, but low in nutrient supply. If you are eating conventionally farmed produce and meat, you are also consuming pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones and additives, which are harmful to your overall health and wellbeing.

Conscious farming, processing and handling practice may lead to greater organic food nutrition. Studies suggest that organic food nutritional value also lasts longer than average produce due to care taken during the packaging process. While there is no clear indication that organic food nutrients are better or more abundant that nutrients from conventional produce, it is suggested that nutrients in organic food such as vitamins, minerals and fiber are free of chemicals and additives.

Organic Food Nutrition Benefits, Facts

Ongoing studies seek an answer to organic food and its nutritional benefits, but what is well known is that organic produce poses fewer health risks. Organic produce is tastier, vibrant and nutrient dense due to lack of additives and chemicals.

Other organic food nutrition facts include:

Resistance to diseases: Plants possess natural disease fighting abilities, which may lie muted due to use of germicides and pesticides. Since organic farming does not use these chemicals, plants may produce more antioxidants to compensate for it. This also means that organic produce is rich in antioxidant properties such as lycopene in tomatoes, polyphenols and flavonols in other fruits and vegetables.
Pesticide residue: Despite washing produce, many conventional fruits and vegetables may contain traces of chemicals. Organic food is free from any residual matter and is hundred percent safe to eat after washing.

Toxins in conventional produce from chemicals may lead to headaches, tumors, stomach upsets, and lack of energy. Studies suggest that many cases of antibiotic resistance amongst adults and children emerge from use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry. Organic food possesses none of these ill effects, thus contributing to your well being.

Calories In Organic Foods:

Organic food calories may not differ significantly from food calories in conventional produce per serving. However, food calories per serving are naturally more nutrient dense and therefore, you may require smaller quantities or portion sizes.

Organic Food for Kids

As more health conscious families opt for organic food, parents are also introducing their children to sustainable organic food from an early age. A range of pre packaged organic food for toddlers is now available in specialty stores. Organic food for babies may also include milk and dairy products such as cheese, butter and yogurt, which provide them with hormone free options. While the overall nutritional benefits of organic food versus conventional food are under debate, it is certain that organic food benefits for kids are important and necessary. Here’s why:

Children need nutrient dense foods to aid their growth and development. Growing children and teens require more food for energy and mature development. This makes them more susceptible to toxins in conventional foods than adults. Consuming organic foods assures more vitamins, minerals, fiber and other necessary nutrients per serving. Additionally, lack of toxins and additives makes organic food for kids less hazardous. Both physically and mentally, organic foods provide children with disease fighting abilities, stronger immune systems and healthy bodies.

For convalescing children and adults, health benefits of organic vitamins can prove very effective. Supplements made from organic ingredients may possess fewer side effects and are easily digestible.

Submitted on January 16, 2014